Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2008-09: Had a breakout year for Rimouski, scoring 72 points in 62 games.

2009-10: In his first pro season, Piche appeared in 9 AHL games with Grand Rapids with no points and 4 PIMs. He skated in 36 ECHL games with the Toledo Walleye, scoring 5 goals, 23 assists for 28 points. He added 2 assists in 4 playoff games.

2010-11: Piche spent most of his season on the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, playing in 48 games and scoring 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points. He also saw time with the Griffins where he put up 2 assists through 11 games.

Talent Analysis

Is an offensive-oriented defenseman. Piche does very well on the powerplay, as he has good puck control and possesses an impressive, strong shot. He also plays a steady defensive game when needed.

Future

Projects as a depth defenseman. Will really need to step up and show he can play at the pro level. Piche was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the deal that brought Kyle Quincey back to the Detroit Red Wings.

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Giants Jump-Start With Team Chemistry

The Vancouver Giants played their inaugural games this past Friday and Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum. As the WHL’s newest franchise, the Giants certainly left us all recognizing the need for some improvement. That said, the way the Giants rallied together, played as a team and came immediately to the defence of one other was nothing short of inspirational.

In their first match against the Kamloops Blazers on Friday, a game they resoundingly lost 5-2, the third period fell into the age-old category of “I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out”. From the get-go, the Giants appeared tentative. They were slow to move the puck up-ice through the neutral zone, reluctant to play the man and generally looked more like a team that was spent than one making its WHL debut. Remember, they played before a sold-out, standing-room only crowd of 7740 hometown fans.

These things happen. That’s OK. The emotions had been running high with anticipation for weeks, and all the hoop-la before the game clearly took its toll. The players all emotionally jacked were at the rink at 3:00 p.m. game-day. Come the 7:30 p.m. opening face-off, they simply came out flat. But to most everyone’s delight, the Giants did not leave quietly.

Time and time again, scraps broke out between unlikely combatants with the Giants routinely on the ‘short’ end of things. All things except a suprising team commitment to one another. A commitment one would not expect to see from a bunch Read more»

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Fantasy Hockey Goalies 2001-2002

1. Martin Brodeur- (Devils) Brodeur is arguably the best goalie in the league, and playing behind one of the NHL’s top defenses make’s him a top fantasy value. Brodeur has some of the best reflexes in the league and uses the butterfly style. Brodeur, who is now in the prime of his career, should have a 40-win season.

2. Roman Chechmanek- (Flyers) Chechmanek accomplished many things this past season. He took Brian Boucher’s spot as the Flyers top goalie and made the All-Star Team. Not only did he win 35 of the 57 games he started, but he also had a .921 Save Percentage and 10 Shutouts. The only question to be answered is if he can do it again.

3. Dominik Hasek- (Red Wings) Scotty Bowman was recently quoted comparing Dominik Hasek’s determination to win the cup, to that of Ray Bourque’s last year with the Colorado Avalanche. If Hasek can stay healthy, there is a reason to believe that Hasek could lead Detroit back to the Stanley Cup.

4. Olaf Kolzig- (Capitals) With the Capitals acquisition of Jarmior Jagr the Caps are expected to win more games this year. Also, Kolzig signed a contract extension this summer and with a better team around him, there is no reason “Olie the goalie” won’t be a top tier net minder this season.

5. Patrick Roy- (Avalanche) At age 35, one would have to expect Roy to show some signs of slowing down. But the superhuman Roy, who won his third Conn Smyth trophy last year, continues to get better, as he had Read more»

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The regular season is underway in Europe. Here is how some of the Flyers prospects playing in Europe have done so far (note: no reports available yet on players from the RSL– Alexander Drozdetsky (CSKA), Konstantin Rudenko (Yaroslavl), and 2001 overage draftee Andrei Razin (Dynamo)).

Czech Republic

Roman Malek: Malek, the starting goaltender for Slavia Prague, suffered a frightening injury this weekend. Losing his mask in a scramble around the crease, he was struck flush in the face moments later by a slapshot. The initial report I have heard is that his cheekbone was shattered and he suffered a concussion from his head hitting the ice.

Milan Kopecky: Kopecky is on loan from Extraliga’s Slavia Prague to talent-starved Division One Beroun.

Pavel Kasparik : Kasparik, who struggled almost all of last season, is off to a much better start in the early going of the 2001-02 Extraliga campaign. In 5 games played for Sparta Prague, he has 3 goals.

Radovan Somik : The Slovakian winger, who would have been with the Phantoms this season had he been able to come to contract terms with the Flyers, is still playing for Zlin. He missed the start of the season with a minor injury, but has played in the last two games. He has a goal and an assist.

Finland

Antero Niittymäki: Defending champion TPS Turku has stumbled out of the gates, winning just one of their first five games. Fredrik Norrena started in goal the first several games. Niittymäki has started the last two. Both have Read more»

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SOUND TIGERS COACHES OPTIMISTIC

A day after conducting the first official practice session for the team,
Bridgeport Sound Tigers head coach Steve Stirling took some time out
Saturday morning to meet and greet fans arriving at the Arena at Harbor Yard
to purchase tickets for the Tigers’ inaugural season.

Once at the box office, fans had the opportunity to buy team merchandise and
speak with various team representatives. But Stirling, who was an assiatant
coach with the Islanders last year, was by far the main attraction. The
former Boston University captain answered various questions from fans eager
to get the inside scoop on the team.

Prior to becoming an assistant coach on Long Island, Stirling, 51, served as
as assistant for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass., for three
years. During that time, the Islanders and Los Angeles Kings had a
duel-affiliation with Lowell. The Islander brass, particularly Mike
Milbury, became very dissatisfied with the limited ice-time New York
prospects were getting in Lowell this past season, which resulted in
Milbury’s removing all Islander-owner players from the team.

Stirling believes having a primary affiliate will greatly benefit the
Islander organization.

“It’ll make a difference,’ he said. ‘The younger kids will be able to
develop because we can control their ice time.”

“Now that (the Islanders) have a primary affiliate, it will help them
because they won’t have to rush an 18-year old kid into the lineup,’ sa Read more»

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by Dan Perrault

The hockey season is 2 weeks from its start and the Thrashers have some big decisions to make. A lot of players are under close evaluation as the pre-season camp and games are currently undergoing. Ilya Kovalchuck, the team’s 1st choice and, 1st drafted overall in this year’s expansion draft, is impressing quite a few so far, and so is last year’s first pick for the Thrashers, (2nd overall) Dany Heatly.

The team lacks experience and most of the battles for spots on the team, will be between young guns. The only true veteran, leader Ray Ferraro, is most unlikely to reproduce the numbers he put up last year, one of his best season’s in his career. Someone needs to put up numbers for this team, who has many prospects.

Let’s take a look at every position and who stands a chance to make the team:

Right Wingers:

Tomi Kallio and Lubos Bartecko, are talented veterans who have a spot on the team. Dany Heatley, stands quite a big chance to make the team this season. He is much more talented than both Bartecko and Kallio, but possibly lacks experience. Scouts say he was the best sniper in the 2000 draft, and has shown fans on Monday, in an exhibition game, against Nashville, a small touch of what he can do. He scored 2 goals, including the game-winner in a 4-3 win over the Predators. Shean Donovan and Jeff Odgers should compete for the remaining spot on the team, unless Brad Tapper explodes with energy in the week to come.